Assassin's Creed III

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning recent or upcoming releases from the Assassin's Creed series. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article three months after release.

"Assassin's Creed is the story of one man reliving the lives of his ancestors. Altaïr was the middle of a very very long time-line. There are still many places to explore.
Assassin's Creed has always been planned to be a trilogy, and Desmond is going back in time, using the Animus to eventually become the ultimate Assassin."

―Patrice Désilets, Creative Director of Assassin's Creed.

Assassin's Creed III is an upcoming game developed by Ubisoft, and is set for release on October 30, 2012. Ubisoft has claimed that the game will be bigger than its previous console installments, and will complete the story of Desmond Miles.

The game will be set between 1753 and 1783, and will focus on a new ancestor, Connor Kenway, who fought during the American Revolution.

Development

With the game in development since January 2010, by its release date, Ubisoft will have worked on the title for almost three years. In a statement made by Yves Guillemot, he shared that "what we have seen is just fabulous."

The game runs on a new version of Anvil Engine, which improves environment effects. There will be seasonal changes, meaning that the sun will shine during summer and the landscape will be covered in snow during winter, subsequently affecting gameplay.

In winter, soldiers will move more slowly and stumble about in the snow, and lakes and rivers will freeze over, allowing Connor to access new areas. Another technical aspect of the engine is that it can depict up to a thousand troops engaged in battle, in contrast to previous games' one hundred, and detailed close-ups.

Info

America. The 18th Century. The thirteen colonies are on the brink of Revolution. Our protagonist, Connor, is thrust into tumultuous 18th century Revolutionary America. Born to a Mohawk mother and British father, he struggles to find his place in a world that views him as an outsider.

Overview

Assassin’s Creed III invites players to experience the untold story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a new Assassin, Connor. Designed from the ground up over more than two years, Assassin’s Creed III takes one of gaming’s most beloved franchises to new heights.

The year is 1775. The American colonies are about to revolt. You are Connor, an Assassin who has sworn to secure liberty for his people and his nation. To do so, you will hunt your enemies across a staggeringly large, open, and realistic world. You will unleash your lethal skills in a violent quest that will take you from chaotic city streets to blood-soaked battlefields in the hostile American wilderness and beyond. You will meet legendary heroes of American history, and together you will conspire to annihilate those who threaten liberty itself.

Whether you use your predatory instincts to kill silently, or your fearsome arsenal to kill openly, one thing is clear: the world that the Assassins live in has become far more deadly. And so have you.

Connor

You are Connor, the warrior son of a Native American mother and British father. As a bloody revolution draws ever nearer, your clan is threatened by a powerful group seeking to crush the American Revolution and control the thirteen colonies. Shocked into action by the devastation of your village, you pledge your life to the cause of freedom, and embark on a decades-long quest to achieve it.

Your predatory instincts, honed by years of hunting through unforgiving wilderness, allow you to stalk and eliminate your targets in utter silence. When open combat beckons, you will unleash a staggering array of new weapons including tomahawks, rope darts, firearms, and more. Centuries before the term “black ops” is defined, you will pioneer this new kind of warfare.

Setting

There’s the American Revolution you know from history books. And then there’s the revolution you’ll be fighting, set in a world that is far more realistic, gritty, and alive than any history book ever could be.

Pursue your enemies through a massive, dynamic world whose only constant is that it is always changing. From the legendary battlefields of Lexington and Concord and the crowded streets of Boston and New York, to the snow-covered Appalachian wilderness, you will wage war in a stunningly alive and open environment. Whether you are tracking your quarry’s blood trail through freshly-fallen snow, or taking advantage of howling winds and dense fog to conceal your attack, one thing is certain: you have never fought this way before.

Characters

Throughout your quest, you will encounter the legendary characters who guided a young nation through its tumultuous birth . You will meet iconic figures such as General George Washington, the tenacious commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and first President of the young United States. Or Benjamin Franklin, the renowned inventor, scientist, author, and revolutionary statesman. And Charles Lee, the ruthless general who played key roles in some of the war’s bloodiest battles. This is not just your chance to witness history, it’s your chance to make it.

Gameplay

Navigation

Connor free-running.

Exploration will be based around a large countryside area known as the Frontier, which is one and a half times larger than Rome in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and not as empty as the Kingdom in Assassin's Creed, as one third of the quests and gameplay content are in the Frontier. The cities of Boston and New York may also be explored, and will have new details and ambiance.

Since there is going to be a lot more travel in the game, fast travel is making a return, but there is now a whole new system of unlocking it, which is integrated into the natural game progress.

More varied methods of movement have been added as well, including climbing trees and other natural elements, leaping over wagons, or sliding under obstacles. Other freerunning elements also have you jumping through windows, to trees, then onto rooftops.

Combat

Connor in a fight with three British soldiers.

Players can dual wield weapons, while fighting and stealth have been completely overhauled with new features, such as "double-counters," "multiple take-downs," and chain kills. Connor will go into battle with a wide variety of weapons at his disposal, including the knife, tomahawk, flintlock pistols, bow and arrow, and Hidden Blade.

Context sensitive actions, such as using enemies as human shields, will be included. The target locking system has been removed, and replaced by automated enemy selection, effectively changing the combat dynamics.

The combat system has been greatly improved, as there are thousands of new animations, none of which are carried over from previous installments. Simple defense and counter-attacks become more difficult, and combat is now focused on putting the player on the offensive, with attacks based on both speed and momentum.

Memories

Desmond will use the new Animus 3.0, and will find himself reliving “significant events”. 100% synchronization in memories returns, though synchronization will be treated more like experience in an RPG leveling system, except with a finite amount available.

Activities completed within missions have their own value. The more in-synch you get, the more you fill your sync bar, which can also be increased through replaying missions. Checkpoints will also be introduced to mission replay, meaning you do not have to replay an entire mission to achieve 100% synch.

Anvil Next

Experience the jaw-dropping power of Anvil Next, the all-new engine designed exclusively for Assassin’s Creed III. The team spent three years building this revolutionary system from the ground up, and the results are nothing short of breathtaking.

It begins with stunning breakthroughs in motion-capture, animation, and AI technology, which deliver more realistic character animations and interactions than ever before. It continues with dynamic weather, seasons, and time, which significantly affect the world around you. And no all-new engine would be complete without a dramatically-expanded combat and stealth system. Take down your enemies with tomahawks, pistols, and more. Use your instinctual tracking skills to learn what happened after an event, and shape your future actions accordingly. Experience the true scope of war as thousands engage in battle.

Anvil Next delivers a next-generation Assassin’s Creed experience on current-generation systems.

Others

Connor hunting an elk.

Economy in the game will be different, as Connor can now hunt animals, and sell the resources found in them. The quality of the kill, such as the number of hits it takes, also increases the value of the resource. A new property system will be implemented as well.

The regenerative health system similar to the type featured in Assassin's Creed will return, and Connor must escape and rest during combat to regain his health.

There will be puzzles similar to the Glyphs, but they will not be given by Subject 16.

Platforming missions, like the Assassin Tombs or Lairs of Romulus, are making a return, though it is unconfirmed in what way they will be implemented. As stated by Corey May, "People like those. We like those. It's not something we'd remove."

Ubisoft Annecy (who developed the multiplayer components for Brotherhood and Revelations) has been tasked with bringing multiplayer back, though they are staying tight-lipped about it and its features.

Marketing

Following the official reveal, Ubisoft announced incentives for gamers that pre-order Assassin's Creed III from Amazon, GameStop and BestBuy, in the form of a free Steelbook casing that features artwork by renowned comic book artist Alex Ross.

For newcomers to the series, the Assassin's Creed Double Edition was released on the PlayStation Network, which brings together the first Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II in a virtual compilation box.

Retail Editions

Note: These collectors editions are available in Europe only. US collectors editions have yet to be announced.

Freedom Edition

• A retail copy of Assassin’s Creed III.
• A steelbook case with cover art drawn by award-winning comic artist Alex Ross.
• A collector's box.
• A 24 centimeter high-quality figurine of Connor.
• An exclusive lithograph.
• George Washington's diary.
• An additional multiplayer character, the Sharpshooter.
• Two exclusive single player missions, Lost Mayan Ruins and Ghost of War.

Join Or Die Edition

• A retail copy of Assassin's Creed III.
• A collector's box.
• Connor's medallion.
• George Washington's diary.
• An exclusive single player mission, Ghost of War.
• An additional multiplayer character, the Sharpshooter.

Special Edition

• A retail copy of Assassin's Creed III.
• Special packaging.
• An exclusive single player mission, A Dangerous Secret.
• Preorder bonuses at JB Hi-Fi Australia
• Captain of the Aquila ULC Pack
• Single Player Weapon: Boarding Axe
• Single Player Skin: The Captain of the Aquila's Uniform
• Colonial Assassin ULC Pack
• Single Player Weapon: Scottish Flintock
• Single Player Skin: Traditional Colonial Assassin Outfit

Gallery

Concept art

• 
  Concept art of the Frontier.
• 
  Continental and British troops prepare to engage.
• 
  Connor climbing a mountain in the Frontier.
• 
  The city of Boston.
• 
  Connor riding through Boston.
• 
  A Redcoat troop patrolling New York.
• 
  A battalion of Continental soldiers.
• 
  Concept art of a Mohawk hut.

Screenshots

• 
  Connor watching a Redcoat patrol.
• Connor carrying a musket.
  Connor carrying a musket.
• 
  Connor surveying an enemy camp.
• 
  Connor passing a Redcoat in Boston.
• 
  Connor with George Washington in the Frontier.
• 
  Charles Lee grabbing a young Connor.
• 
  Connor holding his tomahawk.
• 
  Connor in a canoe.
• 
  Connor duel-wielding his pistol and tomahawk.
• 
  Connor perched in a tree above a Redcoat patrol.
• 
  Connor fighting Redcoats with a pistol and tomahawk.
• 
  Connor overlooking the Port of Boston.
• 
  Group of Redcoats in Boston
• 
  Connor hiding behind a tree
• 
  Connor climbing a cliff face.
• 
  Connor assassinating a Redcoat using his tomahawk
• 
  Snowbound Frontier

Videos

<videogallery> Video:Assassin's Creed 3 - Reveal Trailer|Assassin's Creed III Reveal Trailer. Video:Assassin's Creed III - Connor Kenway (Ratohnhaké ton) Teaser Vignette‎|Assassin's Creed III Connor Teaser Trailer </videogallery>